Lessons Learned

The words of this writing is 19th Century, but the lessons expressed are still well worth following today!
Excerpt from YOUNG'S DEMONSTRATIVE TRANSLATION OF SCIENTIFIC SECRETS; OR A COLLECTION OF ABOVE 500 USEFUL RECEIPTS ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS; TORONTO PRINTED BY ROWSELL & ELLIS, KING STREET EAST 1861 By Daniel Young
THE WAY TO WEALTH

"The way to wealth," says Doctor Franklin, "is as plain as the way to market." Many men, however, either miss the way, or stumble and fall on the road. Fortune, they say, is a fickle dame - full of her freaks and caprices; who blindly distributes her favors without the slightest discrimination. So inconsistant, so wavering is she represented, that her most faithfull votaries can place no reliance on her promises. Disappointment, they tell us, is the lot of those who make offerings to her shrine. Now, all this is a vile slander upon the dear blind lady. Although wealth often appears the result of mere accident, or a fortunate concurrence of favourable circumstances, without any exertion of skill or foresight, yet every man of sound health and unimpaired mind may become wealthy, if he takes the proper steps. Foremost in the list of requisites, are honesty and strict integrity in every transaction of life. Let a man have the reputation of being fair and upright in his dealings, and he will possess the confidence of all who know him. Without these qualities, every other merit will prove unavailing. Ask concerning a man, "Is he active and capable ?" Yes. "industrious, temperate, and regular in his habits ?" O Yes. "Is he honest ? is he trustworthy ?" Why, as to that, I am sorry to say that he is not to be trusted; he wants watching; he is a little tricky, and will take an undue advantage, if he can. "Then I will have nothing to do with him:" will be the invariable reply. Next, let us consider the advantages of a cautious circumstances in our intercourse with the world. Slowness of belief, and a proper distrust are essential to success. The credulous and confiding are ever the dupes of knaves and imposters. Ask those who have lost their property how it happened, and you will find in most cases it has been owing to misplaced confidence. One has lost by endorsing; another by crediting; another by false representatives; all of which a little more foresight and a little more distrust would have prevented. In the affairs of this world, men are not saved by faith, but by the want of it. Judge men by what they do, not by what they say. Believe in looks rather than in words. Before trusting a man, before putting it in his power to cause you a loss, posses yourself of every available information relative to him. Learn his history, his habits, inclinations and propensities; his reputation for honesty, industry, frugality, and punctuality; his prospects, resources, supports, advantages and disadvantages; his intentions and motives of action; who are his friends and enemies, and what are his good and bad qualities. You may learn a man's good qualities and advantages from his friends - his bad qualities and disadvantages from his enemies. Make due allowance for exaggeration in both. Finally, examine carefully before engaging in anything, and act with energy afterward. Have the hundred eyes of Argus beforehand, and the hundred hands of Briarius afterward.

Weight Loss & Bloating

Quick Weight Loss Diets?
You see spas and companies advertise they have ‘super’ diets that will promise rapid weight loss. Like the famous liquid diets.. Don’t believe a word of it-never have, never will make you actually keep that weight off. What they do is rid your body of water, not fat and it comes right back on as soon as you replenish that water loss. What it is good for? Getting slimmer for a big event (think very temporary since as soon as you eat and drink, it’ll all come back-you’ll have to stay away from food and drink during that event for it to work). Some of these diets can be harmful and make you lose muscle mass along with the water. Muscle is heavier than fat and when you lose muscle, it appears you lose weight much faster but since muscle is better at burning fat, losing that muscle makes you lose the ability to burn away more of the fat and your body will hang on even tighter to all that fat and burn fewer calories overall. That means more weight gain over time (and more importantly an increase in inches since the fat is not as heavy-you may weigh the same but be bigger around). Always work toward building lean muscle and burn away the fat not the other way around-and you know what that means… yep you have to exercise! And eat protein to help your body build muscle not fat. Just no way around it, being a couch potato will make you fat-sorry for the bad news but even gastric surgery to reduce the size of your stomach is only temporary-as you continue to eat, that half size stomach will stretch eventually back to it’s original size!

Flatten your Tummy:
Ab crunches may not work if you already have a flabby tummy-it can actually make your belly stick out more appearing larger. If you already have a flat tummy, great, it will give you strong abs. Instead, if your tummy is already flabby, start out with laying on your back and repeatedly/alternately bringing your knees to your chest (helps a bad back as well), almost like you’re running while laying on your back, bringing your legs as high as you can each time. Be sure to get overall exercise as well to shed pounds and eat healthy meals that are small and more often (about every 2-3 hours) to stabilize your metabolism-and never skip breakfast! Eat protein rather than carbohydrates/sugars for breakfast so your metabolism gets a kick start for the whole day.

Relieve Bloating:
To a large coffee cup of boiled water, add a tablespoon of ground cinnamon (sweeten with a little honey if desired) and drink while very warm.

Relieve Puffiness from Water Retention:
Water acts as a natural ‘diuretic’.. that’s right, the more water you drink, the more water your body will shed. So not drinking water will work against you and make you hold more water. Be sure it’s water and not sodas or sugary beverages which can add calories, bloating and pounds along with the water retention-not pretty…

Plump Lips

Full, Plump Lips-All the Rage...
Lip ‘Plumpers’ contain essential oils like ginger, cinnamon, menthol, wintergreen in a jojoba oil base which increases blood circulation to the lips, making blood rush to the surface, causing flushing and slightly swelling lips. Most all cosmetic companies use similar ingredients in their “lip plumping” products. Basically, these oils are an irritant which is why they make your lips swell. It’s the same as eating hot peppers or salsa, getting the oils from it on your lips-you’ll notice your lips getting plumper and redder, a similar feeling to getting a 'fat lip'. The results are only temporary though so don't believe any advertisements claiming to plump your lips permanently just by applying a product. Only injections by a physician can accomplish that and even those last only so long (several months and then it disappears). Using these oils too often on lips can result in dry, irritated lips. A humectant like glycerin added to the lip product is also important to draw moisture into lips to keep them moist and plump. But anything that adds moisture to lips is helpful. Dry lips will be thinner and show more lines. To lock in moisture, keeping lips naturally plump and fuller (and more youthful looking), hold a warm, steamy wet cloth over lips until it cools down, swipe on a good moisturizer, then seal it all in with a waxy lip balm, petroleum jelly or lipstick. You can make your own lip plumper by adding a couple drops of those essential oils into your pot of lip gloss. Or try rubbing lips with wasabi or hot pepper paste and then apply your lip gloss spiked with some of the essential oils. Brushing lips with a toothbrush to remove old skin will also help increase the 'plump' power. Just don’t overdo it or you could end up drying and chapping your lips-which cancels out making them plump!
For much more information on makeup, acne, skin and hair care, natural products and more: Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Saving Money on Cosmetics

Beauty on a Budget?

Cosmetic companies pay for packaging, advertising, distribution, employees, etc. and have to pass the costs on to you. That all costs a lot of money.. Make your own products for a fraction of the price... who says you have to spend a lot of money to keep yourself looking good!! What the big companies put in their products is not much different than what you can make yourself and without all the preservatives, chemicals and dyes they add to theirs.

Here's just a couple ideas for products using kitchen ingredients (and lots more in the book):
Avocado-Egg Facial Masks to Improve Skin Texture and Revitalize:
Avocado's smaller molecules helps the moisturizing qualities penetrate and soak into your skin better than olive oil or other natural oils so it's great for aging skin. Lemon juice is astringent and helps rid skin of excess oil. Egg whites help tighten up skin and pores while yolks add moisture and nutrients.

For Oily Skin:
White of 1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Mashed pulp of half an avocado
Place all ingredients into a blender for a few seconds until it turns into a smooth green mixture. Apply masque evenly over cleansed face and neck. Relax for 20-30 minutes then remove with tepid water and a face cloth. Follow with cold astringent or skin toner.

For Dry Skin:
Yolk of 1 egg
Mashed pulp of half and avocado
Blend together well and apply to cleansed face and neck as above, relaxing for 20-30 minutes. Remove with tepid water and face cloth followed by a cold water rinse and mild skin cream.

Use avocado and egg as a face cleanser with the addition of milk:
Beat the yolk of 1 egg till frothy and add half a cup of milk and mix into half an avocado mashed. Use on a cotton pad and run over skin to remove pollutants and grime while adding nutrients to skin. Since this mixture will spoil, keep it refrigerated and replace every few days.

Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm

Beauty and the Budget Book

A beauty reference manual with over 2300 tips, ideas and recipes for head to toe makeovers and beauty treatments.
This book incorporates tricks the pros and top models use today with folk remedies and beauty routines used for centuries. Increase self confidence and look great even if you have little time or money to spend. Create inexpensive (or free) custom products tailored for you that work just as well as the enticing, expensive store bought or spa treatments. Use the tips and advice to solve beauty problems like flat hair, frizzies, dandruff, skin problems, acne, wrinkles, bloating, etc. Make your own custom cleansers, scrubs, masks, lotions, conditioners, styling products, powders and more. Learn techniques for makeup, hair styles, skin and hair care, hair coloring, hand, foot and dental care. Know important information regarding your voice, posture, skin tone and aromatherapy. Simple diet techniques that improve skin and hair, and the truth about losing weight. Written with the busy woman in mind without the hype and egos of Hollywood experts and marketers. This book is a straightforward resource guide without lots of filler words that you will refer to over and over again. Beauty and the Budget at VirtualBookWorm